Schaffer's stages of attachment

Question 1

What are the 4 stages of attachment?

Answer 1

1. Asocial stage
2. Indiscriminate attachment
3. Specific attachment
4. Multiple attachments

Question 2

Describe the asocial stage.

Answer 2

0-8 weeks: Infant shows similar responses to objects and people. Prefers company with familiar people - easily comforted by them.

Question 3

Describe indiscriminate attachment.

Answer 3

2-7 months: Prefers human company over non-human company. Babies can distinguish between different people and do not discriminate between them. Does not show separation anxiety or stranger anxiety.

Question 4

Describe specific attachment.

Answer 4

7-12 months: Preference for one caregiver - primary attachment figure. Spends the most time with this figure. Displays separation and stranger anxiety.

Question 5

Describe multiple attachments.

Answer 5

1 year onwards: Shows attachment behavior (i.e., stranger and separation anxiety) to multiple attachments they spend time with, like grandparents or siblings. Called secondary attachments.

Question 6

Describe Schaffer and Emerson’s research.

Answer 6

60 babies from glasgow (31 male, 29 female). Researchers visited babies in their homes every month for the first 12 months, then again at 18 months. Researchers interviewed mothers on observations of stranger and separation anxiety. Results: 25 weeks - 50% showed separation anxiety to mothers; 40 weeks - 80% had specific attachment; 30% formed multiple attachments. Conclusion: Attachment develops through a series of stages.

Question 7

What are the evaluations of Schaffer’s stages of attachment?

Answer 7

1. Lacks population validity.
2. Stages of attachment have practical application in day care. (real world application)
3. High external validity.
4. (Counterpoint) Issues with asking mothers to be observers.
5. Poor evidence for asocial stage

Question 8

Evaluation: Lacks population validity./culture bias

Answer 8

Limitation: Lacks population validity. Small sample size; babies all came from Glasgow and mostly from working-class families. May form different attachments compared to families in other countries. For example in collectivist cultures such as Japan, multiple attachments form from a early age due to more caregivers taking part in looking after the infant. Cannot generalize results to mothers and babies from other countries.

Question 9

Evaluation: Stages of attachment has practical application in day care.

Answer 9

Strength: Stages of attachment have practical application in day care. In asocial and indiscriminate stages, day care is likely to be straightforward as babies can be comforted by any skilled adult. However, research suggests that starting day care with an unfamiliar adult would be difficult at the specific attachment stage.

Question 10

Evaluation: High external validity.

Answer 10

Strength: High external validity. Observations were done by parents during ordinary activities and reported to researchers. Observations in each child’s home make children and parents more likely to act naturally. Results are likely to be applied to other infants

Question 11

Evaluation: (counterpoint) Issues with asking mothers to be observers.

Answer 11

(Counterpoint) Issues with asking mothers to be observers. (SELF REPORT METHODS ARE LIEKLY TO BE SUBJECTIVE) Likely to be biased in what they notice or report to researchers,for example they may not notice they child shwoing anxiety. This may lead to inaccuracies in recording behavior.

Question 12

Limitation: Poor evidence for asocial stage

Answer 12

Young babies are immboile and have poor coordination. If babies felt anxiety in everyday situations, signs would be hard to recognise. This means its difficult for mothers to report back on anxiety at this stage. Therefore babies may actually be social rather than asocial sugguesting that methods are flawed